The Story Wildcat
by librarypriestess
Summary: She's back and she's still in love with her husband but where did she really come from? Find out the shocking way she came into her powers and how she got to Canada to meet her husband in this continuing story and witness the breakout of an old virus.


Wolverine and the X-Men

The Story of Wildcat

"Waking Up Alone"

1 of 6

The first night Naomi was home was hard for Logan. The baby crying every few hours and all. Naomi refusing any help Logan offered. She would say, "Unless you magically start producing milk from those pecks of yours, you should try to go back to sleep." It made Logan feel so helpless. He knew she wasn't trying to keep him away, but there was honestly nothing he could do to help but nothing.

Five nights later, Logan heard a noise, found a special collar stolen, and went to get it.

A few hours after he left, Ashley was up, which naturally meant Naomi was up. She walked over to the crib by the window, took him out, and started to nurse.

She looked at the comfy bed from which she'd just come and found it to be empty.

She only smiled at her baby, turned to look out the window, and said to herself, "Some things never change." How right she was.

"Happy Birthday"

2 of 6

(At the Start)

Logan came home early that morning, after getting the collar back and once he

walked through the kitchen, he ran upstairs to see his wife and child.

(Her Half Day)

Logan walked into the room, I knew it was him and was quick to cover our nursing baby. Not that he would mind very much, but Logan and I were going a year without each other. The last thing I needed was Ashley on one breast and Logan on the other.

"Hey, babe," he told me. His yellow and blue X-Men outfit was barely hanging on his body

"Did you get in a fight with a shredder and not invite me?" I teased.

He walked up to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and went tiredly into the bathroom.

I humorously turned to the window and talked to my son. "Daddy had a long night. He forgot all about you. You would think that after almost two weeks your daddy would remember to give you a kiss when he walks in the door."

A minute later he was done, and Logan was out of the bathroom. He came right up to me and took Ashley in his arms.

"Come here my son. Now that you have had your breakfast, you can join me and mommy for ours, and then maybe the three of us can have a cram session with our eyes closed."

"Oh, that would be the best." He was referring to a nap.

"I agree."

I could tell that Logan was tired. I knew what he was doing last night, but I was curious about the circumstances.

"What happened last night?"

"Oh, we had a break in. Just went to retrieve our stolen goods."

"Must have taken a while if you're getting home now."

"Had to deal with the thief, then with a warehouse full of prowler sentinels."

"I'm sorry you had a rough night, and I understand why you had to go, but maybe next time you could employ a little self control. Think things through a little bit to avoid problems like that."

"As usual you're right, but I don't think this scenario could have been avoided."

"Then let's just…" I got on my tippy toes to give him a kiss, then went on. "Forget about it and go down to get something to eat, then maybe we can get a babysitter for the rest of the day."

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I am way too tired to perform."

"Oh, you're rotten," I said it playfully.

"Yes, I'm so hateful and mean."

"Let's just go downstairs." We started to walk out of the room. I turned back

to him. "Do you want me to take him?"

He made a greedy turn with his upper body saying, "Ash is fine right where he is."

I thought it was great. Logan took so naturally to being a parent. I knew from the moment we found out that I was pregnant the first time that he would be a good father.

As we were walking down the hall something happened that I wish wouldn't have.

"Hey," Logan began. "Isn't your birthday tomorrow?"

Then I was shoved back ten years, to when I found out I was a mutant. It was the worst day of my life.

(Ten Years Ago)

Back then the poor girl had been cursed with deep orange and black striped hair, which got her teased most every day. She dreaded going to school today. Today was a special day for her. She begged and pleaded with her father not to make her go, but he said it was important no matter what the other kids said.

So sadly, with her head down and books clutched tight to her chest she started for school.

She wasn't a block from school when five of the meanest boys started walking behind her.

They immediately started to tease her.

"What's with the stripes, Walker?" one boy said.

"Yeah, didn't you know that stripes are for zebras?" a second said.

She did her best to ignore them, to forget they were there, but that often proves difficult.

"That's what she is a zebra, a zebra with a sunburn," the first one sounded off again.

Then the five bullies started to chant "sunburned zebra" at her. She just tried to walk faster. Behind her, the lead bully picked up a rock and threw it at her. It flew through the air and hit her right in the back of the head. She dropped her books and went to the ground holding the spot where she'd been struck by the rock.

She struggled to get to her feet, but the boys pushed her down, still chanting and started throwing clods of dirt at her.

When they were done, they walked away laughing.

The anger inside of her grew, until she thought she would explode. After a moment her insides started to ache and tear, filling her with more pain than she'd ever known. She started screaming. The five bullies turned to see her writhing on the ground with chunks of dirt on her face and arms.

They witnessed the change she made from the human she was born as, to the tiger, the wildcat she was born to be. Her skin started to turn orange in some places and black in others creating a stripped pattern. Her teeth grew long and sharp. Her face changed shape to match that of a cat. Her legs bent backwards, and her finger and toe nails grew sharp and turned black. Her ears coned and took on the strips the rest of her body had.

When the change was over, the boys were standing at a distance from the tiger. The tiger was facing the opposite direction.

One of the boys pointed and began shouting, "Mutant! Mutant!"

The tiger turned, growled, teeth bared, and charged at the boys. They started to yell and run. The tiger was close, it jumped and it would have landed right on top of one of the boys, but there came a loud bang and the tiger was thrust away from the boys.

The officer who fired the shot ran over to where the tiger had landed. What he found, however, was a naked fifteen-year-old girl with dark black hair, mud on her face and arms, and on her left side was a gunshot wound. The one that he had inflicted on the girl he saw to be a tiger.

He knew her. Even though her hair was different he knew her.

"Happy birthday, Naomi."

(Present)

"Naomi?"

I jerked and looked at Logan. "Logan, you know how I feel about my birthday."

"Yes, but I thought you might actually want to do something this year."

"No, Logan, I just want my birthday to be another day."

"Well, I don't want our son's birthday to be another day. I want balloons and smiles and cake and singing and those great big bouncy house things."

"A moon walk?"

"Yeah."

"Why does this matter so much?"

"You can honestly say that you never had a happy birthday, right?"

"Right."

"And even though I know my birthday I try to avoid it by keeping it a secret because I don't remember any of my birthdays."

"The point my love."

"The point is that I don't want our son to regret his birthday like we do."

"He doesn't have to, we can give him all that without having it ourselves."

"Yes, but unless we show him how to celebrate he will be just as bitter as we are."

I knew he was right and I hated it so much. All my birthday did was conjure up bad memories.

"Naomi, we both are going to have to make sacrifices to raise our son the right way."

"But, Logan, how do we know what that is?"

"Better than the normal parents are raising their mutant children, and that means doing whatever it takes to give him what we never had."

He'd won me over. He had changed over the year. It might have had a lot to do with the fact that he was a dad, but he had changed nonetheless.

"Alright, but…if I have to celebrate my birthday you have to celebrate yours."

"I know, I'm already planning my surprise party. Luckily, mine was last month, so we have three hundred and fifty days to come up with the perfect theme. For now, however, we have one day to plan your party, so what do you want?"

I tried to think of practical things. I'd lived off of Genosha a week. There was still a lot I needed.

"I could use a few night gowns. Bath stuff. I need a lot of stuff."

"Naomi, this is a birthday party, not a pity party."

"I would rather have things that I need more than things I want." We started going down the stairs. "Besides, everything I could possibly want is right here. I just need a few things."

"Okay, I guess since we're old and getting older we can settle for things we need."

"Should I get a list put together?"

"If you want to."

"Leaving Home"

3 of 6

After Logan and I finished our breakfast we went back to put Ashley down, then Logan and I lie down for a while. We ended up falling asleep. It was the best nap I'd had in a while.

When I woke up, half the day was gone. Logan and Ashley were gone too. I went to Ashley's crib before I knew he was gone and found a note in Logan's best English script. He wrote:

My Dearest Precious Wife,

Don't worry, Ash is with me. He woke up and I took the opportunity to take care of him while you were asleep. I've taken Kitty and we've gone shopping for your party. Go downstairs to the lab and talk to Hank if you want. He's the only one not busy right now. He can catch you up on what you've missed. I know that he hasn't told you all that's happened. You've missed a lot. I'll be home soon, don't miss us.

Love You,

Logan

The note put a smile on my face. It made me feel free for the first time since Ashley was born. I didn't want to waste it so I did go down to the lab to talk to Henry.

Once I was down in the sub-basement, I tried to remember where the lab was in retrospect to the original mansion. I hadn't seen the sub-basement since before I left. It was strange to be back here after all this time. It was actually more strange to think that this wasn't the original sub-basement. The left out of the elevator was the way to go in the old one and the first door on the left was where Henry always hung out. Sure enough he was there.

"Henry?" He turned smiling.

"Naomi, good to see you up and about without Ashley or Logan attached to either hip."

"Logan did me a favor, and took Ashley shopping for my surprise birthday party."

"Uh-oh. I'm surprised you haven't called him in a rage about your birthday."

"No, we discussed it this morning. We have decided to be role models for our son, and to lightly celebrate our birthdays."

"That's very good. A big step for both of you."

"Rogue will be very happy. She's wanted to celebrate Logan's birthday since the day I met her. Maybe longer."

"About that. Rogue doesn't work with us anymore."

"Like so many others. Did she move to Genosha?"

"No, she, uh, joined the Brotherhood."

I honestly couldn't believe it. I never thought, in all my life, that Rogue would turn her back on the X-Men, least of all, on Logan.

"I'm shocked. I never would have thought she'd defect to them while Logan was still alive. He is like a father to her. He must be upset about it."

"All children have to leave home eventually, and make their own mistakes and choices."

"Leaving home. Sounds familiar." Because I'd done it once myself.

(Ten Years Ago)

The fifteen-year-old did not return to her school after she came into her mutant powers. She almost wasn't treated at the hospital at all, but she was thanks to her father's influence. Very big name. He was chief of the state police. He knew everything that was going on in the state; if by some chance he didn't know he could find out in minutes.

After she'd come back from the hospital, the phone rang almost constantly. The "I can't believe that you are letting that mutant stay at your house" and the "You are the chief of the state police, you can't let a mutant live with you" were getting to her. Her dad too.

"Dad, why don't you just call the authorities on me? It will get all this to stop."

"Don't even start talking like that. You are my daughter and you are all I have left of your mother. I am not going to lose you too."

"Dad, your career is at stake here. The only thing I am doing is making you risk it."

"You listen to me. If you leave this house, I will not rest till I find you, do you understand me?"

"But—"

"Naomi Alexander Walker, do you understand me?" His voice was strong and lovingly forceful.

"Yes, sir."

Sadly, the calls never stopped. She couldn't take her father's yells anymore and the vandalism of their home and once the house was broken into while her father was at work and she was beaten and raped. That was the last straw for her father.

He had a state-of-the-art security system put in to protect her. He did his best to find the men who broke in the first time, it proved difficult. When there was a second break in, however, they were caught with the outside and side cameras and the DNA they left on her matched the DNA from the first break in, and they were put away.

But the break-ins didn't stop. One night, when her father was home, she decided she couldn't take anymore. She wasn't safe in her father's home anymore. She decided it was time to go.

She packed three books, _Jane Eyre_, _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_, and _Love's Endearing Promise_; a change of clothes, and all the money she'd saved from her allowance and summer jobs (when the break-ins happened nothing was ever stolen). Then she left and never looked back. Her pain only masked by her love for her father.

(Present)

"Want to talk about it?" Henry asked me after a moment

"It was a long time ago. I was fifteen, and I had just come into my powers. My dad and I were alone. He worked a lot. People harassed us all the time. It got so bad. Twice three guys broke into the house while my dad was gone and raped me. I was beginning to think that it was normal. The guys were caught, but it didn't help. The last time it happened, there were four and they were never caught. I left home after I got out of the hospital that time. I didn't have much. One change of clothes, three books, and maybe five or six hundred dollars. I headed north. Didn't stay in one place long. At the beginning, I tried to settle in somewhere, they'd find out I was a mutant, and that would be the end of it. So I moved on. It was so hard to live back then. Stealing where I could when I ran out of money, doing what I had to, to get where I wanted."

"When did the sex start?" he asked. I didn't know how he knew.

"How did you know?"

"It isn't hard to tell. It happens so often with mutants as beautiful as you."

"Thanks, Henry. That makes me feel better about talking."

"I thought it might."

I took a deep breath and resumed. "I was desperate to get out of the desert. I had no food or water. I thought I was going to die. I found a camp site with three guys having a meal. They offered me what they had to give for what I had to give. I wasn't shocked. I learned at an early age that men only wanted one thing. That was when I became a traveling prostitute. Word of me got around fast. My body became the first thing I offered in exchange for food and shelter."

"I know it isn't any of my business, but when was the first time you had sex?"

"It was a boy three grades above me before I found out I was a mutant. He pulled me into a bathroom after school. I begged him to stop, but he didn't. I was twelve, I think. Our relationship, or lack thereof, continued for three weeks, then he just stopped. There was no real explanation why he started. We never spoke and I never knew his name. Until I came into my powers I didn't have another partner. I started to like it, want it even. When I found Logan, the best parts of my life started to happen. I could take my body off the market because he was jealous and didn't want to share. I love Logan so much I wouldn't do anything to hurt that. So I let him be jealous. I don't mind when we have the fights when he doesn't know where I've been."

"How can you honestly tolerate that?"

"It makes us the family we are. A lot of people find Logan intolerable, and believe me, no one understands more than me, I'm his wife. But at the same time there is a manner about him that I honestly can't resist. He's a good husband, a wonderful father, and the best man I have ever known. The only one who has ever treated me like a woman not sex he was getting cheap like so many others. I am very lucky to have him, don't you think?"

"Indeed. That baby is lucky, too."

"I'll agree with that."

"Earning the Number"

4 of 6

I was glad when Logan finally got home with Ashley; I needed to feed that baby very badly.

"He's fine, what are you fussing about," Logan asked me when I took Ashley from him.

"Logan, my boobs hurt, I just need to feed him. You've been gone all day what have you been feeding him?"

"That's easy. When I was out last night I bought a breast pump and I, uh, took a sample last night while you were asleep."

"How come I didn't wake up?"

"That's easy too. You were awake."

"Then why don't I remember?"

"I don't know that one my love. Maybe you're going through a mid-life crisis. You'll have to, uh, ask Hank or something."

"What am I going to do with you?"

"A more important question is what you would do without me."

I decided to change the subject. "So, how are your birthday plans going?"

"Pretty good. I was worried at first because I couldn't remember your size, but I remembered. All I had to do was spend five minutes in the lingerie department at the mall and I was all better."

"I'm glad hear that. There was a time when you wanted to tattoo my measurements on your arm."

"It's only to match the tattoo on your arm."

"That was not a tattoo I wanted and you know that."

"Why don't you tell me why you got it."

"I don't want to. You…would think differently of me."

"How so?"

"It's so terrible, Logan, I don't think you'd love me anymore."

"Naomi, I know about the prostitution."

"What? How?"

"You got around. This past year, I showed a lot of guys your picture. I wasn't surprise to find a guy that told me he bought you. Now, will you tell me about the tattoo?"

My tattoo: a series of numbers on my upper arm, 4 4 2000 1500 15, each number meant something.

"The number is printed on us when we are bought from the trade. Each number means something different. Five numbers give a man our entire history if you know how read them."

"What do yours mean?"

Ashley continued to nurse, so I gently positioned him so he could continue and I could direct Logan's attention to each number.

I pointed to the first four in the line. "This number explains my body type."

"Body type?"

"Zero means hysterectomy, one means tubes tied, two means tubes tied and on the pill, three means working order, and four means working order and on the pill." I pointed to the next four. "This one is for the maximum number of men I was with in a single session." The 2000. "The year I started." The 1500. "The total number of men I was with before I was bought." The fifteen. "How old I was when I started."

I only looked at him. He looked back and said nothing.

"You wanted to know and I told you, and now you are thinking you wished you hadn't asked."

"No, I'm glad I asked. You're my wife, after all, we should know whatever we can about each other. I'm just a little shocked. Fifteen-years-old? I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you."

"I know, but I needed the money."

"But if you belonged to some guy, how did we meet?"

"I ran away from him. He was worse to me than anyone ever was. I headed north again. Made it to Canada and found you. The best man I've ever known. It was a good thing too. I saw the guy who bought me a couple of times. Looking for me no doubt."

"Just tell me one thing. Before me, did you do the blood lettings?"

"Of course not." I watched him let out the air he was holding in his lungs. "If he, or any guy, were to do that I'd have been considered damaged goods and could never be sold again."

"Nice to know that no one would want you now. Gives me a sense of security."

"Even if someone did want me, I don't think I would get very far with you at my back."

"You better believe it."

"I know you needed that."

"You didn't just _say_ it, did you?"

"No, I didn't. The last time I checked, we didn't lie to one another."

"Indeed, we don't."

"_Indeed_, well where did that come from?"

"I read a book."

I decided to play around with him a little bit. "No more, my fragile mind can't stand the thought of my husband reading a book without being begged to read it."

"Hey now, watch it. I'm still trying to get used to it myself."

"So, what did you read?"

"Jane's Ear, or something like that," he answered taking Ashley from me.

"_Jane Eyre_?" I asked as he turned his back on me and laid our sleeping baby in his crib behind me, and I excitedly chased after my husband.

"Yeah, that was it."

"Logan, I've been trying to get you to read that book since I started living with you."

"I know. I was in a flea market in Chicago, maybe six months ago, and I stumbled into and book store and I found a copy. I thought of you, of course. When I opened the cover I saw your name in it. I didn't even think, I just bought it and traveled with it wherever I went."

"You bought my book? How much did you spend for it?"

"A dollar I think."

"I soled it for ten. Do you still have it?"

"It's in the library downstairs. I didn't think you were coming back, so when the mansion was finished I put it on the shelf myself."

"Can I have…have it back?"

"It's your book. It's a little disheveled, but readable."

"Did you like it?"

"It's a total chick fic. Every other word I needed a dictionary for." He would usually say chick flick, but this was a book so he'd say chick fic. meaning fiction. He was funny like that.

"But did you like it?"

He looked at me and smiled. "I liked the ending, it reminded me of us."

"How's that?"

"A man wanted to give the woman he loved everything and in the end she ended up giving him more than he could ever offer her."

"You really did read the book."

"I said I did. Why don't you believe me?"

"It's hard to believe."

"I know, but I did read the book."

I couldn't help myself. I wrapped my arms around his neck. He seemed surprised.

"Geez, babe, if I'd realized it meant this much to you, I'd read it a long time ago."

"It's not just the book. It's everything. The rescue, taking me back, taking our son before you knew he was yours, not hating me for lying to you about him…everything. You are the best man in the whole world, and I don't deserve you."

"If anyone here doesn't deserve anyone, I don't deserve you."

"What have I done?" I pulled away from him to look in his face.

"You're a good woman to me. After a year, during which you stared at those divorce papers, those divorce papers that I signed without thinking about it, you took me back. Out of those six pages did you sign any of them?"

"All but one."

"How did that happen?"

"I signed the first when I found out I was pregnant. Signed the next one when I was in the more emotional staged of it, then I signed two more while waiting for the medical team to get there; I signed the last one the first night after I brought Ashley home. I was so angry that you left, I though it would make me feel better if I could hurt you, but you didn't know. Even if I did sign that last page it wouldn't have done anyone any good."

"I'm very glad you thought so," he told me embracing me gently.

"Me too."

"Are we going to have a blood letting soon?"

"Are you that hungry?"

"Girl, you have no idea. None at all."

"What makes you think I haven't been aching for 'us' time too? You weren't the only one who really enjoyed the time."

"Don't see why you wouldn't, the biggest job I have during a letting is popping my claw. You cut yourself for me."

"Only 'cause you are too scared to do it," I told him.

"Not scared, just unsure of my own strength."

"Scared."

"Well if I have to prove myself to you the next time we will only cut one another."

"Can I have a knife this time, just in the beginning?"

"I'll think about it."

"Oh, but you always have one, in fact, you have six. Not fair."

"Are you sure you fed the right baby? I think there's another one right in front of me."

"Shut up," I said hitting his shoulder then we hugged.

"A Truly Happy Birthday"

5 of 6

Logan and I spent the rest of the day together with Ashley. Just the three of us. It was nice. It was like Logan was trying to rekindle our relationship. Trying to court me again. He never really tried to date me in the first place. I never really gave him the chance. It was wonderful though. I was experiencing a new love for my husband. I didn't just want his body or blood anymore. I wanted his love. Something I thought I lost or never had, but now, with our son, we were an honest family.

That night as much as I wanted to, we had no relations, and no blood letting. Logan said it would be weird thinking that his son was listening to the two of us cutting each other. Sometimes we can get a little loud.

We held each other close though. All night. It was blissful, a true bliss. My back was to him, his face right behind mine, breathing down my neck, sending shivers down my spine. His deep sighs of a snoreless sleep, comforted me till I too drifted off to sleep.

From what I remember last night, Ashley didn't wake or Logan got him before I did. It was nice to get to sleep more than usual. Having Logan around was actually really nice. I was so glad.

When I got up, Logan was there next to me. I smiled at that.

I rolled over to watch Logan's sleeping face, but it appeared that he beat me to it.

"Finally awake?" he asked looking down at me.

"It's not late is it?"

"Not really. It's almost ten. We have time to get some brunch before we go to your favorite place for the day. Till it is time for the party."

Then I remembered what day it was and what I had promised.

"Oh, I forgot. Why did you have to remind me? I wanted to avoid it. _Avoid_!"

"Get over it, love."

"I don't want to."

"Don't whine, it will be fine, I promise."

I tried to be open minded. "So where are you taking me?"

"You remember your favorite place, don't you?"

"My favorite place is a little blood stained clearing in Canada."

"What about the blood stained clearing by the lake out back?"

"We were only there once."

"Once is enough."

"Either way, it is no where we can take Ashley."

"Ash is with a sitter."

"What sitter?" I asked sitting up. I was worried. If Logan left our son was with a stranger, one in favor of the registration we didn't stand a chance.

"Kate Sycamore. Known her for a little bit. She's been good about helping us. When I talked to her last week she was glad to hear that we were back together. She offered to watch Ash when we couldn't get anyone else to watch him for us."

"You trust her not to tell the MRD?"

"I trust her."

"What about the MRD; won't they watch her; notice a boy coming and going and realized that it's one of us picking him up?"

"No."

"How are you so sure?"

"She runs the _No Child Turned Away Day Care Center_. She can only takes kids from mutant parents, or mutant kids who don't look mutant because of the MRD, but she takes who she can."

"You trust her though?"

"With my life. More so with my son's."

That wasn't something I expected from Logan. It put my mind at ease a little. "Then I trust her."

We got out of bed, and changed after which Logan took me to this great little place in town. By the time we got back it was one o'clock and we had two hours till the party so we went to the lake back behind the mansion.

"We used to spend a lot of time here, didn't we?" he asked me after we started walking.

"More walking than anything else."

"Yeah, I know. I miss this," he started, looking out to the vast expands of the lake and the surrounding forest. "I miss us. I miss the life we had."

"I do too." I thought about Ashley. "Do you wish Ashley wasn't—" he cut me off.

"No, I love Ash more than anything. I just still want the 'us' time."

"Me too."

That's when we got to the clear space next to the lake. It brought back a great memory.

Logan went into the clearing and started looking into all the leaves and the trees looking for a trace of our last visit.

"Logan, it's been a year. I doubt there will be anything left."

He didn't stop, but he did find something.

"Here we are."

He held out his hand to me. I took it as I entered into the clearing. He showed me a tree on which was a large red hand print.

"Yours, isn't it?" I asked.

"I think so." Logan grabbed the tree just above the print and then looked at me. "Lay down right here." _Here_ was right next to where Logan was knelt down. When I was in position, Logan straddled me keeping his left hand on the tree, then put the right one on the most comfortable to reach tree. He looked and saw another red print. "I remember this, do you?"

"A little."

"You weren't like this though." He took his hands off the trees, took my wrists, and made me grab the tree just above my head. "You were like this."

"I remember now," I said provocatively.

I looked up at the tree as Logan looked too. There were my hand prints on the tree.

"I wonder how they're still there?" I said still staring at the prints in Logan's blood.

"I don't know. Maybe luck."

"Since when did you start believing in luck?"

"I still don't, but what other explanation is there?"

"God?"

"You know I don't believe in that."

I shook it off. "Perhaps they were waiting for us."

"Yeah."

"One thing is for sure. We can never bring Ashley here," I told him.

"Oh, no. Not till he's lots older," Logan said with a big voice.

"Like thirty-eight," I said sarcastically.

"I was thinking sixty."

We started laughing. He was still over me, but he didn't have his hands on the two tree anymore.

"You know our wedding anniversary is in a few months."

"Yes."

"As it is, I can't leave right now."

"I know. You have responsibilities here that have to come before us. You are doing good work, and that is important."

"I'm glad that you feel that way. I have a feeling that we'll be getting a lot of use out of this little secret nook here."

I smiled. I was glad to hear that Logan wasn't going to shut me out completely.

"Once a month sound like enough?"

"No, but it will do."

"If we do anymore you may become anemic. With Ash, I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Just because of Ash?"

"No, but I definitely can't raise him on my own."

"I know you can't."

He stood up, then helped me up. "Come on," he began. "Let's go get ready for the party."

Logan wanted to change for the party, after lying on the ground in the dirt I though that was a great idea for both of us. He changed into a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt. As normal as it was, it made him look elegant. Maybe it was the fact he was wearing black jeans.

"Logan, you look good in black jeans."

"Which is why I hate them, and only have one pair hanging in the closet next to my wedding tux."

"Wait, wouldn't that have been destroyed in the explosion."

"What did you do with your wedding dress that day?"

"I was having it dry cleaned."

"So was I."

"Didn't we have an argument that day?"

"Yep, and it was about our wedding clothes. You were complaining about the leather smell from our bike jackets on them. So after you took yours I took mine. I knew it was important to you."

"Maybe Magneto will find my dress and we can put them back together."

"Trust me, babe, the last thing on his mind is your wedding dress."

"It is a nice thought, though."

"I know."

To change the subject, Logan suggested that I not be late to my own party, so we went down to the sub-basement where the party was being held I suppose.

"Why did you bring the party down here?"

"You'll see."

He took me to the room where Professor Xavier was. It was kind of sad to be standing in the room with him. He was just lying there sleeping.

It was dark. The only light came from inside the chamber.

"Logan, why did you bring me here?" I looked, but he wasn't there. "Logan?"

The lights flashed on and everyone I knew and cared about was there and screaming "Surprise!" at me. It was great. Better than I would have imagine. It was one of the greatest moments in my life. There was color, light, and eight happy, smiling faces.

I, of course, noticed that Scott wasn't there. I think that maybe that was for the best. Used to be he was the life of the party, but now he was like Logan when it came to parties.

"Happy Birthday, Naomi!" came the shouts and claps.

There was a cake that had a two and a six and the words _Happy Birthday_ in beautiful script.

"Thank you all for coming." I tried to show off my best smile.

Logan lit the candles and Kitty said, "Make a wish."

I tried to think of something I wanted that making a wish would be necessary to achieve and could think of nothing, but there was one thing that needed to be wished for.

"With all that I have, there is one thing I still want."

"What?" Bobby asked.

"I know," Emma said.

I looked around at all my friends and said, "I wish for all this to be over soon and we can be the family we once were." Then I blew out the candles.

"A good wish, Naomi," Henry told me.

"Thanks, Henry. It is something we all need, I think."

"Peace is something we all wish for," he said.

"And something that we all will live to see," Storm said.

The party went on. Toasts to Logan and I's happiness and our baby, who wasn't there. Emma pulled us aside after the presents and told us, "I want you two to enjoy your blood letting tonight."

"You told her," I asked Logan, giving my best _damn you_ face I could.

"No, Naomi, you haven't officially met Emma Frost yet. Emma Frost, my wife Naomi, Naomi, this Emma Frost, a very powerful telepath."

"One that can't keep her mind shut I take it," I said staring at the nosie woman in front of me.

"Can any of them?" Logan asked me.

"Jean did a marvelous job of doing just that."

"You needn't worry, your secret is safe with me. I understand your desire to keep it secret," Emma explained.

"If you understand the desire to keep secrets, you wouldn't meddle in people's heads in the first place," I explained right back. She was putting a little dampener on my party. What happened next, however, made me forget all about the things about Logan and me that absolutely no one needed to know.

The room got bright and after a moment everyone was gone.

"Naomi."

I turned around and behind me was Professor Xavier standing holding his arms to me.

"Professor." I, of course, ran to him and hugged him.

"It is good to see you."

"You too," I said as he pulled away.

"How are we here? Where is everyone?"

"I've brought you to the astral plane. The others don't even realize anything has happened."

"What's wrong?"

"I've found out that X-Men gave up after Logan died."

"Logan dies. How?"

"From a virus he couldn't possibly have gotten naturally."

"How then?"

"I think he gets it from you."

"Naturally, like from kissing?"

"I mean from the air, how he got it the first time."

"Could he get it from kissing me?"

"Perhaps, but most likely from blood, maybe sexual activity. Since you've been back have you?"

"No, we were going to tonight since we had a sitter, but if I'm sick with something that will kill Logan we can't. Logan's too valuable."

"Naomi, the records show that you die from the virus."

It was a shock, but I was able to hide it behind my love for Logan. "Better me than him. Will it hurt Ashley?"

"He will be fine."

"I'll tell him tonight. He won't be happy, but I will tell him."

"I'm glad you see the importance."

"Professor, I know I'm still young, but I am old enough to recognize when one thing is better than another. At least I know where I'm going."

"Be strong. I'm sorry."

Before I knew it, I was back and the party was still going. I joined in pretending nothing had happened, and as far as anyone knew, nothing had, which was how I wanted it. It was a very happy birthday.

"Finding Out About the Sick"

6 of 6

After the party, Logan helped me take my presents up stairs. He was trying to rush me so we could go out back to the lake before we had to get Ashley.

Once I had set all my stuff on the bed, Logan was ready to explode with desire. I was able to stop him before he pounced on me.

"Logan, I have to tell you something."

"Can't it wait till we're done?" He asked me. I desperately wanted to say yes, but my better judgment was about to tell him no till he spoke up first. "Oh, I forgot, I got this for you. I wanted to give it to you in private because of what it's for." Out of his back pocket he pulled a black velvet bag.

He gave me the bag, and I dropped it's contents into my lap. It was a simple ripple blade dagger. I unsheathed it to view the blade.

"I thought this would make tonight a lot more fun."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"We can't have anymore blood lettings."

"Why not?"

"I'm…sick, and if we have a letting, if we even have sex you are going to get what I have and you are going to die."

"What? That's crazy. What could you possibly have that would kill me, but not you?"

"I never said that."

"Never said what?"

He knew the answer to that. I suppose that he wanted me to say something different.

"That it wouldn't…kill me."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"The professor only just told me. During the party."

"What did he tell you?"

"He said through blood contact and maybe sexual activity you will get it, you will die, and the X-Men with you."

"And he didn't tell you what you had?"

"No, but the weird thing is, he said you'd had before. I'm still in awe about that."

Before I knew it Logan had me over his shoulder, and the cell phone plastered to her ear.

"Hank, meet me downstairs, we may have a medical emergency."

"Logan, I'm fine."

"Not if you have what I had."

(Logan's Point-of-View)

I was petrified. I carried her downstairs where Hank looked her over and took blood to run the test we both hoped we would never have to run again.

A little less than half an hour later the results were in and my fears were on a piece of paper. Hank came out of the room to give it to me.

"You were right, and the vaccine is now in the hands of the MRD. I'm sorry, Logan"

"So she is going to die?"

"Yes, she is."

"The Legacy Virus is going to claim yet another life."

"Fin…"


End file.
